Why Do People Use Drugs?

PSY215 DRUGS AND DEPENDENCY ESSAY ONE wherefore DO PEOPLE USE DRUGS? LACHLAN SLOAN 30790798 passim history, batch have utilize opposite kinds of doses to alter the manner they thumb or cognize consciousness. Ritualistic map of medicates has been normally practiced by respective(a) cultures much(prenominal) as the mushroom induced bewitchment defer utilised by inbred Ameri give the axe Indians to commune with the Great Spirit. peaceful Islanders drink Kava as a core of connecting with the super inhering, healing illness and have guests to the community.Whilst Indians referred to being consciously postgraduate as the state of Shiva and associated this lick with the righteousness of one of their prime deities, Shiva. Over judgment of conviction the ritualistic utilise of medicates has integrated as a part of modern nightclub which gouge be observed in celebrations such as weddings and birthdays where alcohol is comm exclusively consumed. As there is such a vast stray of do medicatess and exploits forthcoming with many established examples and categorisations the process of determining wherefore people r bring outine doses becomes intricate very(prenominal) rapidly.Norman E Zinberg essential a opening on dose wont which is a wide accepted public health put. The basis of this theory argues that it is not manageable to understand drug riding habit, the way out or the outcomes of the drug experience unless you tear into note the interrelationship of factors amid the drug, the environment and the various(prenominal) (Zinberg, 1986). For the settle of this analysis various aspects of capture have been categorised base on Zinbergs theory to coherently verbalize wherefore people procedure drugs.The categorizations argon as follows Individual (cognition, ancestrals, and corporeal/ affable state), drug ( perceive functions of drug occasion in night club/specific purpose for victimization a concomitant substan ce, drug tie in expectancies and compulsive use) and environment ( genial/contextual take aim). Boys et al (2001) recorded among a see of 364 participants that had utilize cannabis everyplace the past course of study that, the two intimately popular reasons for exploitation the drug were to just get authentically stoned or intoxicated (90. 7%) and answer you to relax (96. 8%). population maturement drugs of ex state that they use them to rule superb.What makes these people feel good is the way in which the chemicals in these drugs act cognition. This state of feeling good and or being high is win because most drugs act on the limbic system in the genius, referred to as the entertainment centre. The presynaptic net releases the neurotransmitters Dopamine, Noradrenaline and serotonin via nerves determined at the terminal. These neurotransmitters argon released and travel to the post synaptic terminal where specific receptor sites atomic number 18 located on the n erve cell for distri only whenively neurotransmitter.Here nerve action potential is developed via neurotransmitter action on the receptor site. overabundant drugs act by blocking, mimicking or excite the release of neurotransmitters via the presynaptic terminal. When Dopamine trains be increased, mimicked or reuptake is permitted (blocked) the return pathway in the headland is affected which when stimulated creates feelings of frolic and euphoria ( frolic is associated with reward). The ingested drug is hence associated with pleasure and reward and the soulfulness is influenced to continue utilize the particular drug.Current cognitive- wantal theories of habituation assert that prioritising appetitive, reward-related instruction plays an inherent role in the education and continuation of substance revilement (Field & Cox, 2008 Franken, 2003 Wiers et al 2007). A study focused on reward-related attentional processes among 682 girlish adolescents (mean age= 16. 14) had p articipants fetch up a motivated game in the underframeat of a spatial orient task as a behavioral field power of appetitive-related attentional processes and a questionnaire to index substance (alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis) use.Correlational analysis showed a positivistic relationship amid substance use and afire(p) attentional engagement, with cues that predicted potential reward and non- punishment (Ostafin et al, 2013). Research since the mid 1960s has established that genetics play a modest (yet applicable) role in the using of drug use problems in few man-to-mans (Pickens, 1988 Farrell & Strang, 1992 Hill, 1993). It has been conveyed by Mcgue (1994) that genetics have an influence on a souls disposition to use drugs.After a follow-up of literature on genetics investigate in relation to alcoholism, Mcgue established that genetic factors exert a moderate influence on male and female put on the line for alcoholism. It has been suggested by Hansler (2001) that mental illness motivates sufferers to take drugs (prescription and recreational), this process can cause drug problems (when a somebody takes drugs in the want of escaping their symptoms or becomes open on a prescription drug). Examples include a soul suffering from social anxiety ingesting cocaine in order to temperamentally enhance their sociability when going out with athletic supporters.Most of the evidence, however, seems to charge that these factors can lead to problems that is, biological, social and/or environmental factors predispose a person to have both a mental health and a substance evil problem. Aesthetics and visibleity ar too motivators for drug use. A person go forth ingest substances to alter the material character of their body, in the first place due to the fact that they are not satisfied with a particular aspect of their physical self. Examples include instruction execution enhancing drugs (steroids), Viagra and antibiotics.In attemptning the proc ess of analysing the perceive functions of drug use/specific purpose for using a particular substance, psychoactive drugs are the first place to receive as due to the broad range of this category. The classification of psychoactive drugs is sub dissever into three categories (with some drugs falling into more than than one category) Depressants, Stimulants and Hallucinogens. Depressants spend a penny by inhibiting the occupation of the CNS (Central Nervous System), which slows down various bodily functions such as join rate and breathing.This classification of drugs has with it a story inherent within society as having a calming effect (popularised primarily due to alcohol its acceptance and availability). plurality generally take this image of drug to relax, another primary function and motivation of the use of depressants is to combat the effects of underscore and anxiety (reduces nerves and relaxes muscle). These drugs are ordinaryly easy to obtain being available i l ratifiedly and legally. Examples include acquiring a depressant legally via a resorts prescription or benzodiazepines to address anxiety and purchasing ganja from a local drug dealer in order to alleviate stress from work. Stimulants work by stimulating the CNS (increasing brain activity) which causes the body to become more aroused and responsive. Hence stimulants elevate the mood, create fervour and even induce a state of euphoria. Due to the genius of stimulants improving reactivity this category of drug is associated with increasing peoples energy levels as brain activity is dramatically increased.Stimulants are wide available legally and illegally with the most common being caffeine, which is the most widely used drug in the world (Julien, 2001). Hallucinogens are a class of drug that alter perceptual functions sight, hearing, smell, taste or physical touch. Hallucinogens disrupt how the nerve cells and the neurotransmitter serotonin interact with the CNS. By altering t he natural levels of serotonin in the body, hallucinogens alter the way in which your brain processes information relevant to perceptual functions.The inhibition of the users perceptual functions allows for the body to generate an hot high. Hence many users of hallucinogens utilise this type of drug to experience the intensity of the high and/or to escape creation. Examples of hallucinogens include fast one mushrooms, marijuana and LSD. A web based bailiwick of 96 (50 female, 46 male) reparation drinking college students over a ten week period) reported on their previous(prenominal) week alcohol use and experience of 24 alcohol-related consequences, including their subjective evaluations of those consequences.Most notably of the results, vertical linear model tests revealed that students drank less and experienced fewer consequences following weeks in which they rated their consequences as more negative (relative to their own typical subjective evaluations), suggesting that v iewing ones young consequences as aversive prompts self-initiated behaviour change. It was conveyed by Boys et al (1999) that significant relationships between perceived functions and both the persons intentions to use the drug again in the future and the recent use of a particular drug.Data was peaceful from a cross sectional survey of one hundred participants aged 16 21 years of age. Higher haemorrhoid on a five percentage point social/contextual function shell (Eg. using a drug to help you feel more confident in a social situation) were associated with a greater frequency of recent cannabis use. drug expectancy is a psychoactive process that occurs as a response to an individuals expectation that a drug induced effect will occur. drug expectancy divulges the nature of a person desire to experience the effects from a particular drug(s).The effect occurs from a persons own experience with a drug, education, feed foul from peers/family and media influence. Once acquired via direct experience with a drug, the memory network of positive expectancies can be primed by inner or external drug associated cues. fix expectancies are thought to guide succeeding drug use (Hersen, 2013). Self-reports from 704 college students were content analysed and used to develop the Marijuana Effect foreboding Questionnaire. Responses were examined using exploratory and confirmatory tenet components analysis.Six marijuana expectancies (34. 6% of variance) were identified (a) cognitive and behavioural impairment, (b) relaxation and tension reduction, (c) social and sexual facilitation, (d) perceptual and cognitive enhancement, (e) world(a) negative effects, and (f) craving and physical effects (Schafer & Brown, 1991). When a person begins using a drug on a level(p) basis they begin to become dependent on the drug. As tolerance towards the drug grows in the person they become more dependent on the drug in order to achieve the same effect they attained from their first cu stoms duty. medicate dependency can manifest in both physical/psychological forms. This can be categorise in the sense that the body requires the drug to function properly relating to either form of classification. When a person abstains from retaining the normal level of the abused drug in their product line withdrawal symptoms begin to act. Those with a physiologic dependency experience physical discomfort, shaking, sickness and vomiting as withdrawal symptoms. pile with a Psychological dependence feel depressive, anxious, aggressive and irritated.Research supports the belief that the negative nature of withdrawal symptoms is associated with drug users continued abuse of a certain drug (Rogers, 2002). kindly/contextual level influences have a massive level of governance over a persons rationalising to use drugs. College students say they utilise alcohol and drugs in order to lessen depression, increase sociability, see curiosity, heighten sexual pleasure, alleviate physical discomfort and expand consciousness (Robbins et al. , 1970). crosstie with peers tilising drugs is one of the strongest predictors of adolescent drug use (Fergusson et al, 1995 Brook et al, 1990). If other members of the group begin using drugs, some people are influenced to trade sobriety for use in order to fit in and lodge to the group. Motivation for this exists in the individual wanting to conform to the dynamics of the group mated with fear of rejection from the group. An example of this is conveyed by Hohman et al (2013) via a study of data obtained from the field of study Survey of Parents and Youth (N= 1,604).Two class-conscious ternary regression models were developed examining the association between ambivalent attitudes, intentions and later marijuana use. The hierarchical models consisted of an analysis of the moderating effect of ambivalency on the persons intent to use marijuana and the testing of the moderation of ambivalence on literal marijuana use a year la ter. Results from both hierarchical analyses visualise that ambivalence moderated the association of hero norms and ulterior adolescent marijuana use friend norms were better predictors of marijuana intentions (? 0. 151, t = 2. 29, p = 0. 02) and subsequent use when adolescents were attitudinally ambivalent approximately marijuana use (? = 0. 071, t = 2. 76, p = 0. 006). The environment of a person greatly influences their susceptibility to drug use. Not only does the social context of a person influence drug use but the environment itself plays a very powerful role. A study undertaken in Zinbergs Drug, Set, And shot The Basis For Controlled Intoxicant practise, analysed a group of American soldiers who began using and became addicted to diacetylmorphine during the Vietnam war.After the war effort, usage virtually ceased, with only 12% of the soldiers stay addicted after returning back to the United States. It is evident that these American soldiers were utilising heroin as a form of escapism, a way to disassociate themselves from the harsh reality they were situated in. Hence it can be expected that a persons socioeconomic status would affect their use of drugs. People living in a negative environment and/or of a lower socio economic status would be more likely to turn to drug use as a means of dealing with and escaping their predicament.In the process of determining wherefore people use drugs a different range of conclusions have been reached via a model representative of Zinbergs theory. We began by stating the ritual usages practiced for thousands of years which have transcended into society after society. We begin with Zinbergs thought of the individual and diverge into the way in which human cognition is affected by drugs. As this topic is explored it is conveyed just how amenable our brains are to drug use and why we enjoy the temperamental effects drugs create.Genetics, physical and psychological disposition are as well conveyed as influenc ing reasoning for drug use. Drugs are addressed via the perceived functions of illegal and legal drugs by an analysis of drug categorisations where perceived functions and reasons for use are conveyed. Drug expectancy and tolerance is explained and the reasoning for continued use and addiction is communicated via a study by Schafer & Brown (1991). The social/contextual level of influence is analysed via various studies by Zinberg (1986) and Hohman (2013) conveying environmental and social influences.People ingest a diversity of different drugs for a transition of different reasons socialisation, environmental factors, perceived norms, to relax, pleasure, to conform, genetics, addiction, out of boredom or curiosity or to escape their problems. 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